Brazilian bishops have requested allowing married priests to resume priestly ministry in an "experimental, preliminary" move to counteract the country's priest shortage "catastrophe," says liberation theologian Boff.
Special feature: The Chicago archbishop has "got a lot of work to do" to revitalize this sprawling bastion of U.S. Catholicism.
Simply Spirit: As the church seeks creative ways to serve local communities, ministerial equality should be high on the agenda, right alongside access to the Eucharist.
A Roman Observer: A few years ago, an American bishop who has since retired described the last ad limina visit he made to Rome under Pope John Paul II.
In the long run, the church will not be able to avoid issues such as women's ordination and who can take over the leadership of priestless communities, Schüller said.
A new study from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate shows that growth of the Catholic population has been uneven around the world.
Editor's perspective: As parish after parish closes, all ecclesial authorities seem to do is wring their hands and pray that more men answer the call to a celibate priesthood.
NCR Today: Holy Land trip round up; What to do with old churches? The priest shortage (have you seen that headline before?); Buffalo Catholic schools.
Grace on the Margins: Members of the New York Metro chapter of Call to Action learned about their rights and responsibilities when facing a parish merger or closure.
We say: A shift in demographics, including drops in the number of priests, is changing the face of U.S. Catholicism.
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